It's my privilege to welcome Christian novelist DiAnn Mills to Write Thinking. She's going to answer a few questions today and tomorrow she'll share about characters who become friends.
Sit back and enjoy!
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How old were you when you began writing?
Actually I was in the second grade. I wrote poetry and stories. Then I remember filling up a Big Chief pad with my first book - a western. I don’t remember what happened in the story except the hero always rode off into the west at the end of each chapter. I imagine it resembled Wagon Train, since that was my favorite TV show at the time. My goodness, I hope some of your readers know that classic!
What is your most important aspect of writing?
Without a doubt, it is characterization. I’m a character-driven writer, and that means my goal is to write real “people” who react and respond to the events and happenings in their lives according to their traits. When you consider how long we have lived to develop our character, then you have an idea the formidable job a writer has in developing credible, colorful, and compelling characters. Characterization drives plot. Stop for a moment to consider your favorite books or movies. The plot may have intricate twists and turns, but it’s the characters who become unforgettable.
Do you have a favorite genre?
That’s like asking a mother which child is her favorite!
I enjoy writing historicals because of the romance of an older era. The obstacles that stood in the way of these people bred courage and strength into their lives. Their problems weren’t any different than the ones we face today, but how they solved them (character) presents an intriguing writing project for me.
I enjoy writing a contemporary because it is who we are today. Our lives are fast-paced and stressful. We are courted by TV, movies, magazines, and newspapers. Every headline, every magazine article, every viewed program spark ideas of how a character could handle a problem. I thrive on suspense and the challenges of a protagonist who lives his/her life from a Christian point of view.
I’ve never tackled sci-fi, fantasy, children, or speculative. But who knows?
What part of the writing process is your favorite?
I don’t think I have a favorite because the process all builds to a finished project: a novel that inspires and entertains.
- I’ve already stated how I feel about characterization.
- Plotting is an extension of characterization.
- The actual breakout of words on paper and seeing the story come to life thrills me.
- Editing to make my novel the best.
- Marketing and networking is an opportunity to promote the story God has given me and to make new friends.
What part of the writing process is your least favorite?
The scary part. When the book is released. I think of it like a mom who sends her precious child to the first day of school. She wants the child to behave and have everyone love him/her, but what if the child comes home with a note that says the child was naughty?
What do you feel is the key or keys to continuous publication?
I’d say it is a mixture of things. Striving to always make the next project better than the previous. Bathing the project with prayer. Listening for the voice of God. And, for me, mentoring new writers. I love to help someone achieve their writing goals.
I hear you and other writers use the word “passion” when you speak about writing. What does that mean to you?
Passion in writing involves a number of aspects. At least it does for me. Passion for writing is like telling a pastor to preach his best sermon, a singer to sing his favorite song, a dancer to reenact the finest performance, or an artist to transfer a dream onto canvas. Many times a writer has this type of feeling or a passion for a topic or story idea. The writer can not, not write it.
How do you feel about critique partners?
Mine are fantastic. I like another set of eyes to read my work critically. I want to know if it works and what doesn’t. Are the characters real? Is the plot believable? Does the dialogue seem to lift off the page? And have I added the right amount of sensory perception.
Where did you get your inspiration for The Texas Legacy Series?
For years I had this idea about a lady outlaw who decides that she’s had enough and leaves the gang. Along the way, she finds the Lord, but the guilt and shame of her past plague her journey. That was Leather and Lace. In the writing of the first book, I realized the hero had a brother and sister. Each one had a story that begged to be told. Lanterns and Lace is about the younger brother, a doctor who adopts an infant from a dying prostitute. Lightning and Lace is about the sister who is forced to face life as a widow and runs head-on into a man who is attempting to live down a troubled past.
What tips can you give for new writers?
1. Write everyday.
2. Establish a time and stick to it.
3. Read your genre and out of your genre.
4. Attend writing conferences
5. Be diligent to the craft.
6. What you learn, pass on to someone else
7. Be teachable – both mentally and spiritually
Technorati Tags: Christian fiction, DiAnn Mills, Lightning and Lace
Farewell to Chris S. I'll miss his humor. He was often a breath of fresh air on the program. I felt like on Tuesday night, when he was getting critiqued by the judges, he was thinking, "You're right. I was off, and it's time for me to go home. Just let me go. I'm tired of all this." There was nothing witty or quipy (I made that word up) about him, no funny comebacks. And I think that hurt him when people went to phone in their votes. He might have overcome an "off" performance with his humor. Maybe. Maybe not.
Christian fiction lost a precious author today. After a courageous battle with leukemia, Jane Orcutt passed away this morning in Dallas. She is survived by her husband and two sons. Jane wrote for Revell, Waterbrook, Tyndale, Barbour and Guideposts. All the Tea in China (a Regency historical) will be released by Revell in June 2007.
A week ago, there was an article in the Idaho Statesman about downsizing and the reasons why people my age (and older) decide to do it. The article included tips on what to get rid of and when. I tossed that section of the paper onto my "to be read" pile of papers in my office, and today I read it. Good information that I'm going to begin applying at once.
I also realize their problems and issues. The storms of life that beat against our doors today have been happening since time began.
From Publishers Weekly
Tomorrow is when the Discovery Channel will air the documentary by James Cameron and company about the so-called Jesus tomb. I am not a scientist or an archeologist. While I have my opinions, I'm not qualified to speak with authority on some of the hypotheses put forward by those who want to claim that Jesus Christ of Nazareth was in that Jerusalem tomb.
FIVE PUBLISHING HURDLES
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